Going to bed late may foster negative thinking

Dec 30, 2014

According to researchers at Binghampton University in New York, people who stay up late may be more likely to engage in negative thinking than those who follow earlier bedtimes.

The researchers asked 100 university students to complete questionnaires and computerized assignments to measure how much they were prone to negative thoughts. They were also asked about their sleeping schedule. Previous research has associated sleep problems with repetitive negative thoughts, but the scientists wanted to see if when a person went to bed may be a factor. They found that the students who went to bed later were more prone to negative thoughts when compared to students who went to bed earlier and slept longer. Further, students who classified themselves as night owls experienced significantly more negative thinking.

The study reinforces the connection between poor sleeping habits and potential mental health and emotional problems. The researchers said they plan to focus more analysis on how sleep data might be used to help people with anxiety disorders.